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The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ruled between them according to whatever was apparent
Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet of Allah
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard a dispute at the door to his house, and he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to those disputing and said: “I am but a human being a man, and those with a dispute come to me. Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in arguing their case than others, and I would believe that he is truthful and rule in his favor. So, if I pass rulings for anyone at the expense of the right of another Muslim, then know that it is a piece of Hellfire that one of you can either take or leave.
An-Nawawi said: “His statement, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘I am a man,’ is meant to notify that he is a human, and that humans do not know the unseen or hidden affairs at all, unless Allah decides to give them (the Prophets) some sort of that knowledge. Also, it teaches that in matters of judgment, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is prone just as others are prone to making errors in worldly judgments (not involving religious affairs). It also teaches that the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, judged between people based on the apparent, and that Allah takes care of the hidden affairs. Therefore, a ruling is given based on evidence, an oath, and other apparent things, while keeping in mind that the hidden matters might be the complete opposite of the apparent, but the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was only commissioned with ruling on the apparent.
